Ossau-Iraty an earthy delight from France's Basque region

Rustic: The nutty saltiness of Ossau-Iraty cheese pairs nicely with the sweetness of fruit. Chronicle photo by Lacy Atkins

Rustic: The nutty saltiness of Ossau-Iraty cheese pairs nicely with the sweetness of fruit. Chronicle photo by Lacy Atkins

Ossau-Iraty an earthy delight from France's Basque region

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The sheep's milk cheeses from France's Basque region are some of that country's most delicious and least known, even to the French.

If you visit the principal Pyrenees towns of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Saint- Jean-Pied-de-Port, you will see these rustic mountain cheeses at the farmers' market, brought by their makers.

And as you drive Pyrenees country roads, you'll see many signs announcing Ardi Gasna-Basque for sheep's milk cheese -- for sale at the next farmhouse or even at unattended roadside stands.

The lovely Pyrenees Ossau-Iraty is an AOC, or appellation-controlled, cheese, one of only two AOC sheep's milk cheeses in France. (The other is Roquefort.)

The name Ossau-Iraty -- a combination of two place names -- dates only from 1980, when the appellation was established. But the cheese is ancient, traditionally made by shepherds in mountain huts as they worked their way up the mountains with their flocks in spring and back down in autumn.

Today, much Ossau-Iraty is made industrially, and although it is excellent, most authorities agree that the artisan versions are better.

"They're a little spicier, not as sweet, and you can taste more of the flavor of grass," says Peggy Smith, proprietor of Artisan Cheese in San Francisco, which carries an artisanal Ossau-Iraty from renowned French affineur (cheese ager) Jean d'Alos.

Ossau-Iraty is a raw-milk cheese with a buff-colored natural rind. Young versions, about 2 months old, have a paste the color of pale butter, a smooth texture and mild flavor. I prefer them when they are a couple of months older and have developed more nutty, sharp and salty flavors.

At restaurants in the Basque region and at the popular La Regalade in Paris,

you'll find Ossau-Iraty served for dessert with cherry preserves, a marvelous sweet counterpoint to its saltiness.

Red wines from southwest France, such as Irouleguy, Cahors and Madiran, would be good companions for Ossau-Iraty. White wine lovers might try it with a dry white Bordeaux or Bordeaux-style California Sauvignon Blanc, such as the one made by Chalk Hill.

Look for Ossau-Iraty at Rainbow Grocery, Creighton's Cheese and Cooper's Gourmet in San Francisco; at the Cheeseboard in Berkeley; at the Pasta Shop in Oakland and Berkeley; and at Woodlands Market in Kentfield.